


Taking Care

by iulia_linnea



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-12
Updated: 2012-03-12
Packaged: 2017-11-01 20:39:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/361000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iulia_linnea/pseuds/iulia_linnea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The members of the Blake family take care of each other in their various ways.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Taking Care

**Author's Note:**

  * For [starcrossedgirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/starcrossedgirl/gifts).



> Written as a companion piece to the [Thoroughly Inappropriate Series](http://archiveofourown.org/series/16241) in response to [starcrossedgirl](http://starcrossedgirl.livejournal.com/profile)'s prompt of _Snape meets a unicorn. A cracky or non-cracky as inspiration strikes you!_

Eileen got up in the night for a glass of water, but as she approached the kitchen, she discovered that it wasn't empty.

"—and when I heard of the attack, I had to see if it was true."

"Because," her father said, sounding disgusted, "you trade in the creatures' hooves and horns."

"Everett, I only harvest from dead animals, but this foal is alive and _injured_."

"And you're here because?"

"The poor thing needs help. Its leg is broken, but it wouldn't allow me to get near it. I thought perhaps Eileen might—"

"You're not dragging my sixteen-year-old daughter into the Forbidden Forest in the dead of night, Auden. I'll go with you. Between the two of us—"

"We'll terrify the poor wee beast. Unicorns—"

"Oh!"

"—prefer women to men. You know that."

"Eileen?" 

"Yes, Papa?" she asked, inwardly cursing herself for having exclaimed as she entered the kitchen. "Hello, Master Willoughby."

"You overheard us, I believe?" Master Willoughby asked.

Eileen turned to her father. "Papa, I wouldn't mind helping. We can't just leave a wounded baby to _die_."

Her father frowned and considered her for a moment. "Very well. Get dressed, and take care that you don't wake your mother and brother."

Eileen ran immediately to Roger's room. "Get up. Master Willoughby's found an injured unicorn foal in the Forbidden Forest and wants my help to Heal it."

"Oh, shit," muttered Roger, throwing himself out of bed. 

"If you say anything, I'll—"

"'S'all right, sis, I owe you."

Eileen next went to her room, only to find her mother sitting on her bed and applying the contents of a phial to one of her dresses.

"Mum, what are—"

"Here," she said, passing the phial to her. "Dab that behind your ears, on your inner wrists, and in the hollow of your throat. You'll be able to approach the unicorn if you do."

"All right, I'm ready," Roger said, poking his head in the door.

"You might have knocked."

"Door was open, and—oh, hello, Mum."

"Go back to bed, Rog."

"But—"

"Go back to _bed_ , Rog," Eileen ordered, hastily applying her mother's potion as instructed.

Grumbling, Rog did as he was told.

"Mum," Eileen said, "I can explain."

"It's none of my business, nor is it your father's."

"You don't think that—"

"He has been rather concerned by how 'close' you and Freddie Weasley have become of late."

"But he'd never allow Master Willoughby to harm—"

"No, of course not, dear, but he would take advantage of a situation to satisfy his own curiosity. Now go before he wonders what's taking you so long, and good luck."

"Won't it work?"

"For Freddie's sake, I certainly hope so, dear."

~*~

Daphne was sitting up in the kitchen when Everett and Eileen returned. She heard him send Eileen off to bed and waited expectantly.

"Ah, we did wake you," he said, joining her.

Daphne poured him a cup of tea. "How's the foal?"

"Eileen Healed its leg and soothed it with a song."

"And its mother?"

"She came for it as soon as we withdrew."

"Excellent. And your curiosity, was it quite satisfied, 'Papa'?"

Everett flushed. "He's a _Weasley_."

"And a gentleman?" asked Daphne.

"Apparently so."

Daphne snorted. "I would have thought you'd be happier than you obviously are."

"He's a Weasley."

"And a lovely young man with whom Eileen has much in common. Don't do that again. Next time, you might not like what you find."

Everett grunted and sipped his tea. "That's why you have Irma keeping track of Roger's antics when he's at school."

"Yes, but I don't mind being an informed mother. You, on the other hand, worry too much when possessed of a surfeit of information."

"So why is Roger being so polite to his sister this summer?"

"You don't really want to know," Daphne replied.

Everett looked at her.

"He and Albus Severus managed to reopen an old tunnel from the school, one that leads directly into Honeydukes' cellar. They've been using it to sneak into Hogsmeade on weekends since they received detention for the pumpkin juice incident."

"And Eileen discovered them."

"Yes, which is why she had so many new books last term. She didn't have to spend her allowance on sweets."

Everett chuckled.

"Chauvinist. If it were Eileen sneaking about in dark tunnels with a boy—"

"More than the tunnel would be . . . sealed."

Daphne laughed. "You can't stop her growing up, darling. She's older than I was when I fell in love with you."

"For Mr Weasley's sake, let us hope that he shares my restraint."

"'Restraint'?" asked Daphne. "Now that's an interesting idea. Are you very tired after your exertions?"

Everett grinned. "I'll never be too tired to take care of you, my heart."


End file.
